GAWSA By-Laws Revised 8/28/2016 1

Greater Atlanta Women’s Soccer Association

Bylaws

Revised August 28, 2016

ARTICLE 1: NAME 1

ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE 1

ARTICLE 3: AFFILIATION 2

ARTICLE 4: DEFINITIONS 2

ARTICLE 5: MEMBERSHIP 3

ARTICLE 6 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 5

ARTICLE 7 MEETINGS 11

ARTICLE 8 APPOINTED POSITIONS 13

ARTICLE 9: COMMITTEES 14

ARTICLE 10 DISCIPLINE 18

ARTICLE 11 AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS & LEAGUE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 19

ARTICLE 12: FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS 19

ARTICLE 13 INDEMNIFICATION 21

Article 1: Name

The name of this Association shall be Greater Atlanta Women’s Soccer Association, Inc. (GAWSA).

Article 2: Purpose

The purpose of this non-profit organization shall be to organize, administer, regulate and promote

recreational and competitive soccer programs for metropolitan Atlanta area adult women’s soccer teams.

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Article 3: Affiliation

This Association shall be a member of the Georgia State Soccer Association (GSSA), Georgia Amateur

Soccer Association (GASA), US Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the United States Soccer Federation

(USSF). This organization shall be governed by its Bylaws and Policies and Procedures, to the extent permissible

under all applicable Georgia laws or statutes, except where these documents are in conflict with or are superseded

by the enabling documents of any organizations to which GAWSA is affiliated. GAWSA will not join any

organization that has requirements that conflict with USSF or its articles, bylaws, policies, and requirements.

Article 4: Definitions

1. “Affiliate” shall refer to organized team affiliated with GAWSA that has an identifiable

membership of players, on whose behalf the organization conducts or engages in soccer activities in

a manner consistent with the provisions of Article 2.

2. “Board” is the Board of Directors and is comprised of the duly elected President, Vice-President

Competitive, Vice-President Recreational and Over-30, Secretary and Treasurer.

3. “Council” shall consist of one delegate from each affiliated team in good standing, plus the

members of the Executive Board. Each council member shall have one vote.

4. “Executive Board” means the GAWSA Board of Directors.

5. “Federation” means the United States Soccer Federation, Inc, (USSF).

6. “FIFA” means the federation International de football Association of which the Federation is the

national association member for the United States.

7. “Fiscal Year” is the 12-month accounting period beginning July 1 and ending June 30, or as

determined by the GAWSA Board of Directors.

8. “GASA” means Georgia Amateur Soccer Association

9. “GSSA” means Georgia State Soccer Association

10. “Member” is an individual who has applied for and/or been approved for membership with

GAWSA.

11. “Player” an individual person over the age of 18 who is duly registered and actively playing with a

GAWSA affiliated team during the current seasonal year.

12. “Officer” is a duly elected member of the Board of Directors who shall serve as officer of the

corporation as governed by applicable law

13. “Quorum” The quorum for any GAWSA Board of directors’ meetings shall be a majority, or 3

members of the Board. The quorum for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the Semi-Annual

General Meeting (SAGM) and any special meetings shall consist of a majority of council members.

14. “Scheduler” is an appointed position by the GAWSA President that shall have the duties of

generating a playing schedule made up of all current approved league teams consistent with the

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League’s Policies and Procedures and these By-laws.

15. “Seasonal Year” The seasonal year shall be the 12-month period from September 1 through August

31; unless the seasonal year is otherwise defined by the Georgia Amateur Soccer Association

(GASA) and/or the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

16. “Team” shall be deemed to be a recognized entity of at least eleven players affiliated with and/or

approved by GAWSA and organized for the purpose of playing the sport of soccer.

17. “USASA” means the United States Adult Soccer Association.

18. “USSF” or “US Soccer” means the United States Soccer Federation.

Article 5: Membership

(1) General

a. All active affiliated teams, active players registered with an affiliated team, non-playing coaches

and/or managers registered with an affiliated team, and members of the Executive Board,

provided each is in good standing with the league, shall be members of GAWSA.

b. A member is in good standing if she has paid all the required fees, is properly registered with the

league and is not on disciplinary probation.

c. The association shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin,

disability, religion or sexual orientation.

(2) Terms of Membership

a. Qualification and Eligibility

Each annual application for GAWSA membership and/or affiliation shall be on a form (hard or

soft copy) as approved from time to time by the Board of Directors and shall provide that the

applicant agrees to abide by the articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, procedures and

decisions of GAWSA and the organizations with which it is affiliated. The fees due shall

accompany each application for the current period. Applications shall be filed with the Registrar

of the Association and shall be acted upon according to the established policies and procedures

of the league.

i. Fees: All fees assessed shall be determined by the Board of Directors and shall be

approved by a majority of authorized votes cast at a duly called council meeting.

1. All required fees are due as per GAWSA policies.

2. All current fee schedules shall be available through the league registrar of Greater

Atlanta Women’s Soccer Association.

ii. Eligibility and Qualification for Individual Membership:

1. Player Members of the Organization are all women registered to play with a

GAWSA team.

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a. Player members must be of proper age as defined for the division in which

they wish to register as set forth in the Policies and Procedures;

i. GAWSA membership shall be open to any woman who is at least 18

years old at the time of registration.

ii. Youth players may play on teams in this organization in accordance

with regulations of the United States Youth Soccer Association

(USYSA) and GSSA, provided their coach has supplied written

permission and she is properly registered with Georgia Youth

Soccer Association (GYSA) and Georgia Amateur Soccer

Association (GASA)

iii. Release by other USSF Organizations: This organization recognizes

registrations and releases of other associations within USSF. If a

player moves into the jurisdiction of this organization, it shall be

necessary for her to obtain a release from her former association in

order to register with GAWSA in the State of Georgia.

iv. The Registrar has custody of all records pertaining to the registration,

transfer, release and inactive roster and reserve rosters of all players

under the jurisdiction of this organization, and shall administer the

rules and regulations pertaining to such matters.

b. Players must have properly submitted all required forms, pictures and fees to

this organization

i. The Registrar shall maintain a list of players with outstanding debts

and shall require payment prior to registration of each player.

2. Associate members of the Organization are non-playing members of any

affiliated GAWSA team

a. Associate membership registration is required of any person who is the

non-playing coach, manager, and/or club official of a GAWSA team.

b. Associate members shall adhere to and be subject to this organization's

Constitution and By-Laws and Policies and Procedures.

iii. Team Members

1. Team Registration Requirements: To be recognized by the Organization, each

team must meet the following requirements:

a. Has at least 11 registered players, but not more than 24 active players;

b. Has a home field located in the Metropolitan Atlanta Area or has a field

otherwise approved by the Board of Directors;

c. Confirmed that the address and directions to their home field is listed on

the GSSA website, GSSA field locator, or, if not listed, submitted written

directions and a map for the location of their home field;

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d. Designated one person who shall be their delegate to the Council; this

delegate shall:

i. Have the authority to vote at all Council meetings;

ii. Be responsible for insuring that the team, including each individual

player, coach, manager, and/or club official is duly registered and

complies with the Leagues By-laws and Policies and Procedures;

and,

iii. Be responsible for submitting all required information for each

player, coach, manager, or other club official

2. A team must submit all fees and registration requirements to the GAWSA

registrar by the published registration deadline.

a. A $50.00 late fee will be assessed against any team that fails to complete

their team registration by the published deadline, absent good cause

shown, as determined by the Board of Directors.

b. Registration requirements:

i. Declare a team name and uniform colors;

ii. Designate a minimum of eleven individual players;

iii. Designate a team captain and an alternate team contact;

iv. Provide an official team mailing address, electronic mail address

and phone number;

v. Designate home playing facility, with an address & field contact

information; and,

vi. Insure that the team’s forfeiture bond is current

c. In the event that a team disbands, withdraws, or is expelled from this

organization, all players are automatically released but their ability to

transfer to a new team is dependent upon release and satisfaction of all

debts as determined by the Treasurer and the Registrar.

b. Resignation

i. Any Affiliate or team that desires to resign from the Association shall submit its

resignation in writing to the President, who shall present it to the Board of Directors for

action.

ii. No Affiliate’s resignation shall be accepted until its entire financial obligations to

GAWSA are paid in full.

Article 6 Board of Directors

1. Composition

The Board shall be comprised of the President; Vice-President Competitive; Vice President Recreational

and Over-30; Secretary; and, Treasurer.

2. General Duties

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a. The sole authority of this Corporation shall be vested in a Board.

b. The Board will be responsible for enacting, reviewing and publishing policies to enable the League

to attain its stated goals.

c. The Board shall be responsible for any and all financial responsibilities that are incurred during their

term on behalf of the GAWSA membership.

i. This Board shall have power to incur pecuniary liabilities on behalf of the League, subject to

the requirements of the By-laws.

d. The Board shall have full authority to act for the Corporation in all matters of administration, and

shall make a report to the Membership at its Annual and Semi-Annual meetings of all business has

been conducted by the board.

3. Board Member Election

a. The term of office shall be two years and/or until a qualified successor is elected.

b. The Board Officers shall be elected by the Council at the AGM, as defined in Article 7(1)(b). The

eligibility of each team and their designated Council representative shall be determined as described

in Article 7 (5).

c. Officers elected at the AGM shall take office immediately after the AGM.

4. Terms in Office

a. The President shall be elected in odd-numbered years.

b. The Vice President Competitive shall be elected in even – numbered years.

c. The Vice President Recreational/Over 30 shall be elected in odd - numbered years.

d. Treasurer shall be elected in even – numbered years.

e. The Secretary shall be elected in odd - numbered years.

5. Qualifications

a. No Board member shall serve simultaneously in more than one elected position;

b. No Board Member shall be a paid employee of GAWSA.

c. Members of the Board may be removed from office for failure to perform assigned duties, as set

forth below in Article 6 Section (4).

d. No individual member may be elected to the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms,

absent approval of a majority of the Council. The only exception to this shall be that an individual

who was appointed to fill a vacancy of an un-expired term of more than one year may not

subsequently be elected for more than two (2) terms, absent approval of a majority of the Council.

e. Eligibility

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i. All registered members in good standing are eligible to serve as members of the Board of

Directors.

ii. The Vice President Competitive shall be a member of an affiliated team in the competitive

divisions;

iii. The Vice President Recreational/Over-30 shall be a member of an affiliated team in the

recreational or Over-30 division.

f. The nomination and election process is provided for at Article 9, Section (1)

6. Duties of Officers

a. President

The President shall serve as chairperson of the Board and is chief executive officer of the corporation

and her responsibilities shall include:

1. Preside at all Board and Council meetings;

2. Oversee and direct all activities of GAWSA;

3. Sign contracts as approved by the Board and/or the Council;

4. Cast a deciding vote at any Board or Council meeting where a question presented results in a

tie vote;

5. Represent this Association in all matters that require state representation;

6. Submit an annual report in writing at the Annual General Meeting;

7. Establish committees, appoint committee heads and appoint other positions with approval by

majority vote of the Board and/or the Council;

8. Be a standing member of all committees; and,

9. In the event a Board member, appointee and/or committee chair is unable to complete their

term of office, the President, with the approval of the Board, shall appoint another person to

fill the remainder of the un-expired term.

b. Vice President Competitive

The Vice President Competitive Division’s responsibilities shall include:

1. Performing all the duties assigned to the President in the President’s absence, including

presiding at all Board or Council meetings;

2. Serve as Discipline and Protest (D & P) Chairperson for all GAWSA hearings involving

Competitive Division members, except that in the event of a conflict, the Vice-President

Competitive will recuse herself from the D & P hearing and the Vice-President

Recreational/Over-30 shall serve as Chairperson;

3. Serve as the GAWSA representative for all Competitive Division GSSA related Appeals,

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D&P and Ethic & Grievance related issues as required by GSSA;

4. Set all Competitive GAWSA Appeals, Ethic & Grievance hearings as required by the

policies and procedures;

5. If the President should resign or otherwise vacate the position, the Vice President

Competitive Division will assume the position of President for the remainder of the

President’s term or until the next officers’ election;

6. Administer the suspension and/or any restrictions on membership for all Competitive

Players and Teams within GAWSA;

7. Serve as Risk Management Chairperson for GAWSA;

8. Oversee the nominations and elections committees;

9. Oversee the League Statistician and Webmaster; and,

10. In cooperation with the Vice-President Recreational/Over-30 draft an annual report of the

Organization for presentation to the Council at the Annual General Meeting.

c. Vice President Recreational/Over-30

The Vice President Recreational or Over-30 Division’s responsibilities shall include:

1. shall preside at all meetings that the President and the Vice President Competitive

Division do not attend;

2. Serve as Discipline and Protest (D & P) Chairperson for all GAWSA hearings involving

Recreational or Over-30 Division members, except that in the event of a conflict, the

Vice-President Recreational or Over-30 Division will recuse herself from the D & P

hearing and the Vice-President Competitive Division shall serve as Chairperson;

3. Serve as the GAWSA representative for all Recreational or Over-30 Division GSSA

related Appeals, D&P and Ethic & Grievance related issues as required by GSSA;

4. Set all Recreational or Over-30 Division GAWSA Appeals, Ethic & Grievance hearings

as required by the policies and procedures;

5. Administer the suspension and/or any restrictions on membership for all Recreational or

Over-30 Division Players and Teams within GAWSA;

6. Oversee the position of Registrar and Scheduler; and,

7. In cooperation with the Vice-President Recreational/Over-30 draft an annual report of

the Organization for presentation to the Council at the Annual General Meeting.

d. Secretary

The Secretary shall be responsible for the following:

1. Record the minutes of all meetings, including but not limited to recording all Board and

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Council votes, maintaining current by-laws and policies and procedures, and publishing

said minutes either on the Organization’s website or by electronic mail delivered to each

team’s representative within 45 days of each Council meeting;

2. Maintain a current list with contact information for all Council Designees, Team

Captains and Board Members;

3. Attend to the correspondence;

4. Furnish each affiliated team in good standing with a current copy of the Bylaws and

Policies and Procedures when the team enters the league and ensure that the GAWSA

website contains up-to-date copies of the governing documents;

5. Notify the affiliated membership at least fourteen (14) days prior to an AGM and SAGM

and provide copies of proposed changes to GAWSA Bylaws, Policies and Procedures or

any other changes to the governing rules;

6. Notify the affiliated membership at least fourteen (14) days prior to any AGM, SGM or

other special and/or general membership meeting, such notice shall set forth the purpose

of the meeting;

7. Maintain an attendance log for all Board and Council meetings;

8. Maintain current Bylaws and Policies and Procedures, incorporating any duly passed

changes thereto;

9. Provide to GSSA copies of the GAWSA Bylaws, Policies and Procedures and other

governing documents annually, and submit all duly adopted changes to the Bylaws and

Policies and Procedures to GSSA for approval not later than 90 days after adoption;

10. Provide notice to GSSA of any changes in the GAWSA Board and their contact

information.

11. Upon reasonable request make copies of all documents available to GAWSA members

and Affiliates.

e. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall:

1. Receive any monies paid to this organization;

2. Keep records on all the property of this organization;

3. Maintain a detailed account of all fines assessed and fees owed by all teams and players;

4. Issue written notice of all fines assessed;

5. Maintain a detailed account of the income and expenditures thereof;

6. Deposit all funds upon receipt in a bank account in the name of this organization;

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7. Present a financial report with the present balance at each Council Meeting;

8. Present a written financial report at the Annual Meeting;

9. Certify the registration of each player and each team;

10. Submit all required affiliation and registration forms and fees to the GSSA and to

GASA;

11. Shall annually submit all required documentation necessary to insure the incorporation’s

status as a Georgia registered non-profit organization;

12. Shall sign all checks of the organization which must be countersigned by the President,

except when checks are written to the GSSA and/or GASA; and

13. Shall be bonded at the expense of the organization by a recognized bonding company.

7. Nomination and Election of Officers

1. The Council, as defined herein, shall serve as the nominating committee. The nominating

committee shall select and recruit qualified members to serve as Officers on the Association’s Board

of Directors.

a. To the extent possible, the nominating committee will attempt to recruit members from each

division within the league to insure representation of all divisions on the Board.

2. At the AGM, the nominating committee shall present the names of the nominees to the Council.

a. Further nominations will be accepted from the Council during the AGM.

3. At the AGM the Council and the current Board will elect the new members of the Board of

Directors.

8. Removal and Resignation

1. Any officer absent from two (2) consecutive meetings or four (4) meetings in a year

without cause shall be considered unable to perform the assigned duties;

2. Any Council Member may move for the removal or resignation of a Board member

for failure to perform assigned duties and/or good cause shown, provided that such

Motion requires a two-thirds vote of the Council;

3. Any Board Member may move for the removal or resignation of another Board

member for failure to perform assigned duties and/or good cause shown, provided

that such Motion requires a majority vote of the Board, with approval by two-thirds

vote of the Council.

4. The President shall appoint, with the approval of the Board, replacements to fill

vacancies on the Board arising from removal, resignation or departure of the

incumbent for any reason and, upon approval by the GAWSA Board, the appointee

shall fill the remainder of the term with full voting rights.

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Article 7 Meetings

(1) Council Authority

(a) The Council, as defined above in Article 4.3, shall have the authority to elect officers, approve

changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, approve changes to the Policies and Procedures and approve

the annual budget.

(b) Council members shall be designated by their duly registered team.

a) Council meeting are open to all members of the organization.

b) Only designated Council members are eligible to vote, as set forth herein.

(c) A quorum is necessary to conduct any meeting as defined by the organization’s Bylaws.

1. A majority of those Council members eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum to conduct the

business of any Council meeting.

2. Each team that is a member of this organization in good standing is accorded one vote. Such

vote may be cast by the team captain, coach, manager or other registered player as designated by

the team captain or manager.

(a) A team may designate a proxy to represent the team at Council meetings, but such

proxy vote must be in writing and signed by the team captain and/or authorized team

manager and submitted to the Secretary no less that 24-hours prior to the Council

meeting.

(b) Teams may not designate a proxy for more than one council meeting per annual

playing season.

(c) Any team that fails to have a team representative attend three consecutive meetings in

a year shall lose its eligibility to vote until the team’s representative has attended two

consecutive meetings.

(2) Regular Council Meetings

a. There shall be at least two annual meetings of the Organization: The Annual General Meeting

(AGM) of the Council; and, a Semi-Annual General Meeting (SAGM) of the Council;

b. The AGM shall be held during the third quarter of each calendar year, on a date to be designated

by the President, but no later than the end of the playing year and no less than 14 days prior to

the first date of play for the fall season.

c. The SAGM shall be held in the first quarter of the annual calendar year, on a date to be

designated by the President, but no later than 14 days prior to the first date of play for the spring

playing season.

d. Additional regular Council meetings shall be called each playing year consistent with the

Organization’s policies and procedures as set forth in Article 6 of the Policies and Procedures;

e. The annual budget shall be determined by the Board and shall be approved by a vote of the

Council at the AGM.

f. The actions of the Board of Directors shall be presented at any general meeting.

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(3) Special Meetings

a. Special Meetings may be called by a majority vote of the Board and/or at the request of two-

thirds of the eligible council members;

b. A special meeting called by the Board of Director’s must be announced to the members no less

than 14 days prior to the date of said meeting;

c. A special meeting requested by the Council members must be announced within 14 days of the

Council’s request, and held within 60 days of the request, and 14 days’ notice must be provided

to the membership;

d. The quorum for a special meeting shall be a majority of the votes eligible to be cast at any

meeting of the Organization.

e. Special Meetings may be conducted via electronic meeting and/or telephone conference,

provided 21 days’ advance notice is issued to the Affiliates

i. Amendments or Changes to the Bylaws and/or the Policies and Procedures as set forth in

Article 11 may be conducted via electronic polling, provided such amendments and/or

changes have been: 1) presented to the Council at a duly called General or Special

meeting, 2) a majority of the Council has approved electronic voting for the amendments

and/or changes at issue, and 3) any proposed amendments or changes are published to

the Council no less than 14 days prior to the opening of the electronic voting. In no

event shall the period for electronic voting be less than ten (10) full days. Results of any

electronic polling shall be confirmed by a majority of the Board and hard-copies of any

such polls shall be maintained by the secretary for a period of no less than three (2)

years.

(4) Notice

a. The Secretary shall provide written notice sent by electronic means and/or by U.S. mail to all

affiliated teams at least (14) fourteen days in advance of all General or Special meetings.

b. The announcement must contain the purpose of the meeting.

c. If any changes or amendments are proposed to the GAWSA Bylaws, or Policies and

Procedures, the Secretary must provide copies of all proposed changes to the Council members

at the time the meeting is announced.

(5) Voting Representation

1. Voting representation at the AGM and the SAGM, and any other Council meetings shall be as

follows:

a. One vote per team in good standing with the association.

i. Prior to the start of any membership meeting, credentials will be established to

determine the authorized votes. For any issue before the GAWSA membership to

be determined by vote, the Authorized votes will be used.

b. The League Registrar shall determine if a team has properly registered and has submitted

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the appropriate payments.

c. The GAWSA Vice Presidents shall determine, based upon the League Registrar’s report,

if a team is in good standings with the league.

i. A majority of the Board shall resolve any conflicts over credentials prior to

conducting any other business

d. Any team that is found not in good standing will have no voting representation at

Council meetings.

(5) Board of Directors’ Meetings

(a) The Board shall meet at least bi-annually, before the AGM and the SAGM, and at other times at

the call of the President or a majority of the Board;

(b) The order of business and agenda shall be as determined by the President in consultation with the

Secretary or as set forth for general meetings;

(c) A majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum to conduct business;

(d) Each member of the Board shall be entitled to cast one (1) vote on any matter of business before

the Board. Voting by proxy shall not be allowed;

(e) The Board may act on any matter without a meeting with the written consent of all Officers, such

consent may be given in written form electronically submitted;

(f) The Board may conduct business via electronic meeting and/or telephonic conference call in

accord with the policies established by the Association.

(6) Parliamentary Procedure

All Council Meetings shall follow parliamentary procedure as set for in Robert's Rules of Order. The

order of business at all meetings of the Council shall be as follows:

i. Roll Call

ii. Minutes of the previous meeting

iii. Communications

iv. Reports of the Executive Board of Directors

v. Reports of other Committees

vi. Financial report of the Treasurer

vii. Unfinished business

viii. New business

ix. Miscellaneous items

x. Adjournment

Article 8 Appointed Positions

(1) Appointed League Positions (Paid)

(a) The Board will select and appoint a League Registrar to administer the registration affairs of the

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League. The Registrar will receive and process all affiliate applications for GAWSA membership

i. The Board will set the appropriate remuneration, to be paid quarterly at the

conclusion of registration for each of the four (4) seasons of play, the proposed

amount to be approved by the Council;

ii. The Registrar will be directly responsible to the Board through the Vice President

Recreational/Over-30 of the League.

(b) The Board will select and appoint a League Scheduler to who shall have the duties and

responsibilities for generating a playing schedule for all current registered teams (to be supplied by

the Registrar).

i. The Board of Directors will set the appropriate remuneration, to be paid quarterly

after the publication of each of the four (4) seasons of play, the proposed amount to

be approved by the Council;

ii. The League Scheduler will be directly responsible to the Board through the Vice

President Recreational/Over-30 of the League.

(c) The Board will appoint a Web Master that shall have the duties of keeping current the League’s

Website and any social media sites.

i. The Board of Directors will set the appropriate remuneration, to be paid quarterly

after the publication of each of the four (4) seasons of play, the proposed amount to

be approved by the Council;

ii. The Web Master will be directly responsible to the Board and will report to the Vice-

President Competitive and/or the President of the League.

(2) Appointed League Positions (Unpaid)

(a) The Board will appoint a League Scores & Standings statistician that shall have the duties of

keeping current the leagues weekly game scores and team standings during the fall and winter

playing seasons.

(b) The Board will appoint a League Player Coordinator that shall have the duties of coordinating

new players with existing teams during the current playing season.

(c) The Board may appoint additional members to the Board who shall be non-voting members.

Article 9: Committees

1) The President, with approval of the Board, shall have authority to:

a. The Board shall appoint Committee and Sub-Committee Chairs as defined in Article 9: Committees.

b. The Board may dissolve any nonfunctioning committee as defined in Article 9: Committees.

c. The President with approval of the Board may establish special committees with the approval of the

Board of Directors to accomplish a special purpose. The membership and structure of these

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committees will be determined at the time they are established.

2) Standing Committees

a. All committee appointments shall be annual appointments unless otherwise stated.

b. All committee appointments shall take place at the first Board meeting following the Annual

General Meeting.

c. The Standing Committees of GSSA shall be:

i. Discipline & Protest

ii. Bylaws & Policy

iii. Promotion & Relegation

iv. Adjudication

v. Tournament

d. Discipline and Protest Committee

i. The GAWSA Vice Presidents will chair all D & P Committees.

1. The Vice-President Competitive will chair all D & P meetings concerning discipline

of members in the competitive divisions, unless a conflict of interest exists as set

forth herein.

2. The Vice President Recreational and Over-30 will chair all D & P meetings

concerning discipline of members in the competitive divisions, unless a conflict of

interest exists as set forth herein

ii. Each hearing committee shall be composed of the D&P Chair and two (2) additional

members selected from divisions of play other then the accused. The committee shall be

comprised of at least two members from a different division than the division in which the

alleged infraction arose.

iii. The D & P Committee will hear all allegations of misconduct that arise during the playing of

any League game, including hearings on all disciplinary actions based on warnings or

ejections issued by referees, complaints regarding the composition of teams (e.g. the use of

unregistered players or members not in good standing) or other protests related to the

conduct of affiliates during a league game.

iv. The D & P Committee will review all protests directly related to game incidents and rule on

such matters in accordance with the Bylaws, Policies and Procedures of GAWSA.

v. The Chair of these committees must contact the individual member alleged to have engaged

in misconduct and/or team captain of a team alleged to have engaged in misconduct, and that

members and/or team’s Council representative within (96) hours of notification of the

alleged misconduct, to set a hearing date within a (10) ten-day period. Notification may be

GAWSA By-Laws Revised 8/28/2016 16

by electronic mail.

vi. The Chair of these committees must provide, in writing, the rulings of the committee to the

accused within ninety-six (96) hours after the hearing.

vii. The Chair of these committees must provide, in writing, the rulings of the committee to the

GAWSA Secretary for appropriate record keeping.

viii. This committee shall adhere to and comply with all the requirements of GASA, GSSA,

USAS and USSF.

ix. The GAWSA Policies and Procedures shall set forth the procedures and Notice requirements

for any D & P Committee meeting.

e. Bylaws and Policy Committee

i. The Committee shall be composed of three (3) members appointed by the President

ii. This Committee shall meet on an as needed basis as determined by the membership

iii. This committee shall be responsible for reviewing the Bylaws and Policies and Procedures

of GAWSA.

1. Proposed changes shall be presented in accordance with Article 7.3.e) i. and Article

10 of the Bylaws.

2. This committee shall review all proposed changes properly submitted in accordance

with Article 10 of the GAWSA Bylaws and make recommendations to the Board of

Directors.

a. All proposed changes shall be transmitted to the Council Members by the

Secretary in accord with the Notice provisions set forth in Article 7.3.e of the

Bylaws

iv. This committee shall be prepared to discuss and make recommendations regarding any

proposed change(s) at Council Meetings.

v. This committee shall also be responsible for ensuring that Bylaws, Policies and Procedures

are all consistent with and in compliance with the same of Georgia State Soccer Association,

US Adult Soccer and USSF.

f. Promotions and Relegation

i. The Promotion & Relegation Committee shall have the duties of reviewing the final standing

of all teams and assigning teams to divisions for the following season.

1. There shall be a member of each division represented on the Promotion & Relegation

Committee and the Chair shall be the League Scores & Standings statistician.

2. This committee shall meet twice a year, at least 8 weeks prior to the fall and spring

seasons.

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ii. It shall be the responsibility of this committee to assure the fair distribution of approved

teams into the correct playing divisions.

1. This Committee shall make a recommendation to the Vice-Presidents no later than 7

weeks prior to the fall and spring playing seasons regarding the division of teams for

the upcoming season.

iii. The Vice-Presidents shall make a joint recommendation regarding the promotion, relegation

and division of teams for the upcoming playing season to the Board no later than 6 weeks

prior to the fall or spring season.

iv. A majority of the Board shall approve the proposed promotions, relegations and division of

teams and this information will be forwarded to the affected Team council member no less

than 5 weeks prior to the playing season.

v. The affected affiliates who have received notice of promotion or relegation will have 72

hours to file any and all objections to the proposal with the Vice-Presidents, who will make

recommendations for reconsideration or denial to the Board within 24 hours.

vi. Within 48 hours of any objections to promotion or relegation the Board will, by majority

vote, determine whether to sustain or deny the objection, and the affected team will be

notified electronically, in writing, of the decision.

g. Adjudication Committee This Committee shall be divided into two sub categories, Appeals, and

Ethics and Grievance Committee

i. Appeals Sub Committees

1. Appeals sub-committees shall be appointed on an “as needed” basis. These

committees shall hear all appeals of any D & P decisions properly submitted to the

GAWSA League President.

2. Appeals shall be heard within a two (2) week period unless an alternate date is

requested in the written appeal.

3. The President will appoint an unbiased committee composed of a Chair and two (2)

additional members for each individual hearing.

4. The Chair must provide, in writing, the rulings of the committee to the accused and

to the GAWSA Secretary within ninety-six (96) hours after the hearing.

5. This committee shall adhere to and comply with all the requirements of GSSA,

USAF and USSF.

6. Decisions of the GAWSA Appeals Committee can be appealed to the GASA, then to

USASA, and then to the USSF National Appeals Committee by payment of the

appropriate fee and in accordance with the regulations of these bodies.

ii. Ethics and Grievance Sub Committees

1. Ethics and Grievance Sub Committees shall be appointed on an “as needed” basis.

These committees shall hear all grievances and issues brought to the Board’s

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attention that may affect the integrity of this organization.

2. These committees shall hear all grievances within a two (2) week period unless an

alternate date is requested by the grieving party.

3. The Vice President of the Division that generated the complaint or grievance will

appoint an unbiased committee composed of a Chair and two (2) additional members

for each individual hearing.

4. The Chair of these committees must provide, in writing, the rulings of the committee

to the affected member and the GAWSA Secretary within ninety-six (96) hours after

the hearing/

5. This committee shall adhere to and comply with all the requirements of GASA,

GSSA, USAS and the USSF.

h. Tournament

a. The GAWSA President shall appoint, with approval of the Board of Directors, a Tournament

Committee Chairperson.

b. Two other members shall be appointed to serve on the Tournament Committee

c. The Chairperson must perform the following:

d. The Chairperson shall review the committee’s recommendations and thereafter and make

recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval of the following:

i. Dates of Tournament

ii. Location of Tournament

iii. Tournament Rules

e. Upon approval by the Board of Directors of the items in Subsection A., above, the

committee shall undertake the following:

i. Arrange a host hotel, referees, and other tournament logistics.

ii. Present a date and location in writing for approval to the Board 75 days prior to the

tournament.

iii. Present a budget in writing for approval to the Board 45 days prior to the tournament.

iv. Present a nomination of Tournament Director for approval to the Board 45 days prior to

the tournament.

v. Recommend and coordinate all marketing, recruitment and advertising for the

tournament.

Article 10 Discipline

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a) Suspension of Membership

1. Any Affiliate or individual member may be determined to be in bad standing for

cause and placed in suspension. Cause shall be defined but not limited to the

following:

a. Failure to pay registration fees;

b. Failure to pay fees or fines assessed against the Affiliate and/or member;

c. Any other violation of GAWSA Bylaws or Policies and Procedures.

2. An Affiliate in bad standing may not receive any privileges and/ or benefits of

membership.

3. The Vice Presidents shall be responsible for administering the suspension or

curtailment of membership.

4. Any suspension or expulsion shall be subject to appeal to the Appeals Sub-

Committee as outlined in Article 9.

Article 11 Amendment of Bylaws & League Policies and Procedures

1. Proposed amendments to the GAWSA Bylaws, Policies and Procedures or rules of play should

be submitted in writing and must be submitted to the GAWSA Bylaws Committee Chair and to

the Board.

a. Proposed changes can be submitted in writing during any Council meeting, but cannot be

adopted absent sufficient notice to all affiliates;

b. The Board must notify all affiliates of any proposed changes by electronic or US mail no

less than 14 days prior to the Council meeting at which the proposed amendments will be

presented for vote.

c. Any member in good standing may make a proposal to amend the Bylaws, Policies and

Procedures of Rules of Play.

2. Amendments to the Bylaws require approval by a two-thirds vote of the Council

a) Amendments to the Policies and Procedures or other Rules of Play require approval of a

majority vote of the Council.

Article 12: Financial ObligationsERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

1) The accounts of this organization shall be managed to support the organization’s short and long-range

plans.

2) The Council shall authorize all purchases prior to the expenditure of funds for any amount, except

emergency expenditures, and registration expenditures.

a) The President shall have the authority to approve emergency expenditures of an amount not to exceed

$250.

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3) Reimbursements shall be in accordance with proper procedures and shall be paid only upon presentation of

receipt and notice of approval of purchase.

4) The Treasurer shall control the expenditures for registration.

5) The accounting purposes the fiscal year of this Organization will be July 1 through June 30.

i) At the end of the fiscal year the Treasurer shall prepare the following:

(1) An income statement for the fiscal year ended June 30.

(2) A Balance Sheet as of July 1.

(3) Prepare and submit all necessary papers to the Internal Revenue Service.

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Article 13 Indemnification

1) The Association shall indemnify to the fullest extent permitted by law it’s Officers, Directors,

employees and other representatives against any loss, liability, costs or expense including attorney fees

in any way arising out of any act or omission taken by or omitted in good faith belief that such act or

omission was lawful and furtherance of the Association’s purpose.

Article14 Dissolution

1) In the event that GAWSA disbands, after liabilities and obligations are satisfied in accordance with

government regulations, any remaining monies in the GAWSA treasury shall be dispersed as

determined by the GAWSA Board of Directors. None of the funds will be used for the benefit of the

individual members.

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